Skipshock
- Author
- Caroline O'Donoghue
- Publisher
- Walker
- Publication date
- 5 June 2025
- Other publishers
- Brazil (VR Editoras), Bulgaria (Pro Book), France (Auzou), Germany (Fischer), Italy (Adriano Salani Editore), Japan (Tokyo Sogensha), Spain (Duomo Ediciones), Turkey (Timas), UK Audio (W F Howes), Ukraine (The Old Lion), USA (Candlewick), USA Audio (Listening Library)
Skipshock
Set in a universe where time is key to power and privilege, this dazzlingly inventive, genre-defying fantasy romance is the first in a duology by best-selling author Caroline O’Donoghue.
Moon is a salesman. He makes his living traveling through a series of interconnected worlds on a network of barely used train lines.
Margo is a troubled Irish teenager, living a mostly ordinary life. After the death of her father, she’s on her way to Dublin to start afresh.
They never should have met. But when Margo suddenly appears one day on Moon’s train, their fates become inextricably linked. If Margo wants to survive in these dizzying new worlds, she has to pass as a traveling salesman, too—except it’s not that easy.
Move north on the train line and time speeds up, a day passing in mere hours. Move south and time slows down—a day can last several weeks. Slow worlds are the richest ones: you live longer, your youth lasting decades. Fast worlds are sharp, cruel, and don’t have time for pleasantries. Death is frequent. Salesmen die young of skipshock. That is, if they’re not shot down by the Southern Guard first.
As Margo moves between worlds and her attachment to Moon intensifies, she feels her youth start to slip between her fingers. But is Moon everything he seems? Is Margo?
Told through the eyes of both naive Margo and desperate Moon, the unforgettable realm of Skipshock will shake the way you think about love, time, and the fabric of the universe. The first in a planned duology from the best-selling author of the Gifts series, this utterly original epic is a must-read.
SKIPSHOCK has been shortlisted for Teen and Young Adult Book of the Year by the Irish Book Awards 2025, the Books Are My Bag Readers Award 2025 for Young Adult Fiction and the YA Book Prize 2026. SKIPSHOCK has won the KPMG Children's Books Ireland 2026 Judge's Special Award.
“Breathtaking and relevant.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Readers will burn through the pages as they traverse gorgeous, fully realized worlds replete with their own varied dramas. . . . Incredibly immersive and utterly unique.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In this dazzling duology opener, O’Donoghue (Every Gift a Curse) deploys inventive worldbuilding that complements an intricate plot advocating social justice and immigration reform. Moon’s first-person narration alternates with third-person chapters following Margo; their witty banter and burgeoning romance buoys the tone amid constant danger and high-stakes action sequences.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Skipshock isn’t just a book. It is, literally, a new world to dive into, and one so exquisitely conjured that you feel you live there for a while. A suspenseful, romantic, charming and really unique tale. Will make you hungry for the next one. Strongly recommended.” — Matt Haig
“Skipshock is inventive, compelling and completely original; a deliciously taut and mind-bending exploration of the privileges of time and what it means to have and control it. Margo and Moon are complex and loveable characters readers will root hard for and the story itself is utterly haunting, pitching the injustices of class politics and the horrors of hoarded resources against an evolving love story that feels as inevitable and reliable as the passage of time. Full of suspense, mystery, horror, but most of all, hope, Skipshock is the cool, sharp breath of fresh air YA has been craving.” — Melinda Salisbury
“Warm, witty and compassionate.” — R. F. Kuang
“Skipshock is genre-blending brilliance. Caroline O’Donoghue is a phenomenal writer who can tackle any topic but it is a joy to see her imagination and creativity at full blast in the otherworldly pages of Skipshock. I would read anything Caroline O’Donoghue writes, and Skipshock is a thrilling, thought-provoking ride of a book that I’ll be recommending to everyone.” — Katherine Webber
“Dazzlingly original and so deftly done. Caroline O’Donoghue somehow pairs the magic and whimsy of Howl’s Moving Castle with the cool exacting eye of Margaret Atwood. I loved it.” — Louise O'Neill
"An original, genre-blending YA novel, full of intricate world building and intoxicating romance." — The Guardian
" An impressive fantasy debut that introduces readers to a genuinely fresh-feeling otherverse." — SFX
"Putting a new spin on the phrase ‘a race against time’, Skipshock is like no other book I have read. . . Layered, inventive, and expansive, what appears to be a complicated sci-fantasy across various worlds, time zones, and dimensions will effortlessly envelope readers imaginations and swallow them whole. A stunning read." — The Irish Examiner
"A thought-provoking look at inequality, time and borders, wrapped up in a delicious romantic adventure. . .Thoroughly enjoyable and intelligent." — The Irish Times
"In Skipshock she [Caroline O'Donoghue] has created a magical world with detailed architecture, geography, races and climate." — The Sunday Times
"Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue (Walker Books) poses a tantalising question: what would you do if you boarded a train to Dublin and found yourself in another world entirely? . . A unique coming-of-age story with a sci-fi twist." — Young Adult Fiction of the Month, The Observer
"Skipshock is so clever and novel. . . Brilliantly detailed, packed with peril and fraught with first love, it’s young adult fiction at its best. The world building is superb, the pacing lively and the themes – of migration made illegal, communities obliterated, families separated and life being cut short – draw on news headlines without being preachy. Book two can’t come soon enough." — Press Association
"An original and very clever time-bending SF romance." — The Bookseller
"Skipshock, Caroline O’Donoghue’s new novel for young adults, plays with time in a way which feels fresh and edgy. . . A sophisticated and vibrantly detailed romantic fantasy." — The Scotsman
"Skipshock is an addictive reading experience, drawing the reader in with its lyrical prose and keeping them gripped with its fascinating multi-layered power dynamics and electrifying romance. O’Donoghue demonstrates her talent for captivating readers with well-rounded, engaging characters and beautiful settings […] Skipshock succeeds in providing a stage for readers to explore real-world issues such as mental health, disenfranchisement, discrimination and corruption, presenting these themes in ethereal settings with intricate world-building […] Skipshock lays the foundations for what is sure to be a thrilling new series full of intrepid characters, twists, and betrayals." — CBI Inis Magazine
"Stealth romantasy may not be a recognised subgenre yet, but if it’s going to becomes one, the publication of Skipshock could be its defining moment . . ." — Pocketmags